This post is quite outdated, I wrote it over a week ago but just now finally reached a computer lab so I could post it.
Soon we will move up to the Phoenix Academy in Taji Iraq for additional training before we finally arrive in Tal Afar to begin our RIP/TOA (Relief in Place/ Transfer of Authority)Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment or two.
We flew out of Forbes Field, Topeka, KS a little after noon on Tuesday 8 May on a 757, after three layovers in Newfoundland, Shannon Ireland and Budapest Hungary, we arrived in Kuwait City around 8 p.m. local time Wednesday. This was the 4th time I’ve flown into this airport and it is amazing how everything looks feels and smells the same. Kuwait is not the “dry” heat of the desert but an oppressive, dusty muggy heat. The smell of the airport is the same each time and the heat smothers you like a hot wet blanket.
After spending about an hour downloading over 1000 duffle bags and loading them into baggage trucks, we boarded buses and moved off the tarmac. Just outside the airport security fence is a dusty field with coolers of water, porta-potties and shades. Here all the smokers dismount the bus to have that much needed cigarette. The field has been the same since at least August of 2000 (the first time I visited.) After waiting about ½ and hour for KMOI (Kuwait Ministry of Interior) to link up with us we moved out to Camp Buehring.
The drive to the camp passes through urban areas, past oil fields burning off excess gasses and finally to remote desolate desert where the only life is the occasional lizard along with Bedouins and their camels and sheep.Camp Buehring is a sprawling staging base consisting of very few permanent structures, virtually the entire camp could be dismantled and in a year or two you would never know it ever existed save for the berms and guard towers. The population of the camp ranges from maybe 1,000 permanent soldiers to as many as 12-15,000 soldiers if a couple of Brigades are staging to roll north. The mission of the camp is to provide the Reception and Staging base in the RSO&I (Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration) process.
Right now there is a Mechanized Infantry Brigade Staging here and every night huge convoys of Mercedes flatbed trucks move from the SPOE (Sea Port of Embarkation) which is the Port of Ash Shwaiba to Camp Buehring, after downloading equipment from 20’ shipping containers, conducting some training and configuring their vehicles for combat (mounting machine guns, installing additional armor, radios, etc.) the Brigade will be ready to move North. Depending on the distance from here to their final destination they will either move via CULT (common user land transportation) assets, (basically trucks stationed here for specifically that purpose) or the will conduct a GAC (Ground Assault Convoy), though generally tracked vehicles such as M1A1 Abrams Tanks and M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles are trucked to their location to save on fuel and maintenance.Landing in Kuwait really makes you see what a huge military complex we have in place over here, and what happens here is just the tip of the iceberg.
Since we arrived here we have become more and more acclimated to the oppressive heat, temperatures here often reach in excess of 110 degrees. Our first day of training involved us convoying to the desert to conduct a small arms range to confirm our M68 sights were still zeroes to our weapons and to train on reflexive fire and close quarters marksmanship. We arrived at the range about 0430, just as the sun was coming up and stayed out there until after 1530. By 1530 we were all completely fried from the heat, no amount of water, Gatorade or food can maintain your body temperature or chemistry when you are wearing 40 pounds of body armor, longs sleeve shirt and long pants.
Over the next three days we trained on foreign weapons, convoy lane training and finally a convoy live fire exercise. We had the opportunity to shoot AK-47 rifles as well as RPK machine guns, these weapons designed by Kalashnikov are without a doubt the most prolific weapons ever invented. Kalashnikov was a communist who was unable to patent his invention and therefore never profited from its design. The AK-47 is currently manufactured in over 100 countries around the world including the U.S.A number of us have shaved off all of our hair; let me tell you when the wind is blowing sand into every crack and crevice of your body, just being able to pour a bottle of water over your head to wash the sand off seems like a luxury.
Soon we will move up to the Phoenix Academy in Taji Iraq for additional training before we finally arrive in Tal Afar to begin our RIP/TOA (Relief in Place/ Transfer of Authority)Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment or two.
